Hong Kong Pride Parade November 2012

[Guest fountainhall]

We’ve had a lot about the Taipei Gay Pride Parade; not much about Hong Kong’s. This year’s is on Saturday 10 November starting at 3:00pm. The overall theme of various Pride events this year is, “We Need LGBT Workplace Equality”.

 

Sadly for a territory which got rid of its anti-gay legislation more than 20 years ago, Hong Kong’s Parade is a pale shadow of the Taipei Parade. Last year, only around 2,000 attended. The photos show plenty of gay flags and other symbols, but no guys wearing Speedos or Aqux and I can see no-one even bare-chested! The dress code was “sexy and act out” but most were dressed far more modestly, according to the AFP report.

 

That report also quotes a Singaporean who moved to Hong Kong three months beforehand –

 

"Hong Kong is much more progressive than the rest of Asia, the LGBT groups are getting more prominence here," said Goki Muthusamy, a Singaporean who moved to Hong Kong three months ago and a first-timer at a pride parade.

 

Sorry Mr. Muthusamy! If Hong Kong can only muster 2,000 and Taipei over 30,000 (and remember also, Taiwan has several other Pride Parades in other cities), then Hong Kong is hardly as progressive as you suggest.

 

http://www.google.co...a92169ceb0c.151

[fedssocr]

I was reading in Fridae's newsletter that HK seems to have a month long Gay Pride celebration with lots of events throughout that time. Which may be a good thing or it may just dilute things too much.

[Guest fountainhall]

HKG calls its Pride celebration a Pink Festival that runs from 9 September till 12 December.

 

I'm not sure how it grew, but believe it started years ago with a week-long LGBT Film Festival which proved quite popular. Now it includes a gay day at Disneyland (!), a Mr. Gay Hong Kong pageant started 3 years ago - which got off to rather a bad start when a non-Chinese American from Pittsburgh won it! - a gay Flotilla and, of course, the Parade.

 

But I agree with fessocr. A handful of events spread over 3 whole months doth not a Festival make! Indeed, it makes it very difficult for those overseas wanting to sample some of the events who can probably afford to visit only once. Also, as far as I can see, unlike Taiwan the HK Pride Parade has no special clubbing nights organised around the Parade.

 

On the other hand, the whole season of events is clearly more for local gays to raise awareness in HKG. And that's no doubt as important as having one mega-celbration as in Taipei.

 

[fedssocr]

I see that the HK GLBT Film Festival is happening at the end of Nov when I will be there. Hopefully I will get a chance to see a couple of things there. I used to help program our local gay film fest so it's always fun to see other festivals.

[Guest fountainhall]

I read this morning that 4,000 turned up for Hong Kong's Pride Parade yesterday. That's a very commendable doubling of the turnout over last year - but still a far cry from Taipei's 60,000 or so.